Glistening Sun
by AlicexJasper78
Summary: Never in a million years did I ever think I would experience this much pain. Although, I probably would never have thought that I would ever be in this situation. To think that, almost a year ago, I would have thought that this was all just make believe.
1. Prologue

Never in a million years did I ever think I woiuld experience this much pain. Although, looking back now, I probably would never have thought that I would ever be in this situation. To think that, almost a year ago, I would have thought that this was just make believe. That this stuff only happened in fairy tales. That the burning sensation that I was feeling now, could never be possible.

Everything that has happened in the last few months leading up to now has been torture. Everything I ever wanted and more showed itself this year. And now, I'm stuck in pain to have it. To be with everything I want.

And yet somehow, I don't regret anything.


	2. Chapter 1 The Begining

**Please note I do not own any of the twilight plot or characters**

**And that the characters that are so named as Alice and Jasper have a completley different role in this story**

Chapter 1:The Beginning

The sky was a perfect cloudless blue. The sun shone down, illuminating everything. The sound of my mom's car awoke me. I could hear it pull away, and almost intantly, I was alone.

I glanced over at the clock. It read 7:00, so I decided that it was time to get out of bed. school would be starting in just a couple of hours, and I couldn't afford to be late again. I walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. Since mom had left quite early, I gathered that she hadn't made anything for breakfast, so I was on my own.

I grabbed a box of cereal and sat down. It didnt take long before that was gone. I grabbed my keys and my books and headed out the door. 

Jumping into my truck, I stuck the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life.I kicked it in gear and was on my way.The school wasn't far away. It only took me a couple of minutes to get there, but thats White lake for you. 

The population is small, with a whopping 529 people. It's a small town in Bladden County. I detested White Lake, but as much as I wanted to leave, I wasn't able too. It wasn't because in some odd way I liked it here, no. It was because my mom and I were under a witness protection program. 

My father had disappeared a couple of years ago, and the government thought someone was after us so they relocated us to a small town where no one would find us.

I had just pulled into the parking lot, when I saw Alice's blue corvet parked on the other side. I hadn't seen her since before mid term break, seeing as in how I had been under house arrest by my mom. I jumped out of my truck and made my way towards the front doors. 

From behind me I heard someone shout my name. I turned to see who it was. Sage appeared behind me with a happy look on her face. I smiled, knowing that she had something important to say, just by the look in her eyes.

"Raya, guess what! My momma had her baby the other night..." she glowered, "her name is Lily Anne Mathews, weighing in at a whole 5 pounds!"

"Thats wonderful!" I beamed. I knew that this had been hard on both her mom and her, since she was like me, but instead of her father disappearing, he was killed in a work related accident.

But Sage always made the best of things. When everyone else was down, she would find a way to cheer them up, even if she didn't like them that much. That was one of her gifts, to make others happy, when she herself, may not be. And that wasn't her only gift. no. She had the gift of Beauty. there was no one here who could match her. Her long black hair sawyed in an imaginary wind. It contrasted with her blue eyes and pale skin. She was like someone you would see on the cover of a magazine.

Sage looked behind me, and I turned to see what she was looking at. Alice was making her way towards up in a graceful motion. Alice, wasn't as pretty as Sage, but she damn close. Unlike Sage, she had Blond hair and blue eyes. Her skin was pale, but the color always flushed in fast when she was embarressed or cold. 

And then, beside these two, was me. I was completely plain in everyway. I had dark blond hair, that seemed brown at times. My eyes were an emerald green. For me, my skin was too pale, it was almost translucent. There were times when you could actually see the blue veins in my arms. 

"Did you guys hear?" Alice asked, her tone was anxious.

Sage and I exchanged glances then focused back on Alice. She didn't wait for us to answer.

"Theres some new kids in the school. They just moved here over spring break. Theres three of them. I heard that their dad is that new doctor that everyone is talking about." 

"Wonderful..." I muttered. 

A grin formed on Sage's face. I nodded my head and pushed past them, they quickly followed. Behind me, I could hear them already gossiping about these new kids as if they had already met them.

The halls were crowded as usual. I shoved past everyone in an attemot to get to my locker. When I finally reached it, I began putting in my combination--24-36-58. My locker swung open, and I threw my books inside. I grabbed my Chemistry binder and text book. When I shut my locker, I noticed that there was a boy, a couple feet from me leaning against a row of lockers. 

I didn't reconize him, so I figured he was new. I studied his face and his posture. His hair was an almost copper color. His eyes, a deep mesmerizing emerald green. he stood there, leaning against the wall looking like a god. He was beautiful; his face was perfect. and what I liked most of all, was that his skin was even more transparent than mine was. He turned slightly, facing my direction. His eyes locked with mine for a split second. I could feel my face turning red so I quickly turned and walked away.

I walked into my chemistry class and sat beside Alice. She was talking with Sage about what she had done this break. She had gone down to Mexico again to visit her grandparents. Since I already knew what she did I turned away to look at the clock. My gaze quickly dropped when I saw Mr. Riley talking to the boy I had seen earlier in the hall. I could feel my face turn red again. I quickly turned my gaze away.

Mr. Riley faced the class. A paper wad flew in front of him, and I could see that he was in a bad mood today.

"Class...Calm down please...!" another paper wad flew by.

"CLASS!" suddenly, he had gotten everyones attention. "Good. now seeing as we have a new student, there will be a new seating arangment. when I call your name you will go to the designated table. The person who will be sitting at your table with you, will be your new lab partner." 

Alice, Sage, and I exchangesd glances. Alice was Called first, and was partnered with Tompson O'Ryan. Sage was paired with the quiet girl, Bertha, and me, I was paired with the new boy. The one with the perfect face. I learned that his name was Jasper Stone.

Mr.Riley said something to himself and turned towards his desk, "Since it is the first day back, I spose that none of you will be willing to work, so for today's class and tomorrow's we will be watching a movie on chem labs. It will explain safety precautions, suggest experiments and so on."

The class muttered in joy. no work for the next two days. I liked that Idea. He popped a tape into the VCR and turned the lights off. The low hum of the T.V filled the room, followed by music. I glanced over at Jasper. he stared straight ahead at the T.V. his fists were clenched as he sat as far away from me as possible. In the darkness, he seemed to glow. 

I turned away and took out a piece of paper. I started doodling little shapes when something hit the desk. I reached for it and saw that it was a note from Alice.

_'OMG he's looking at you. he really is...OOOHHHH! 3'_

I threw her a look. Taking a chance, I peeked up at him. To my suprise he was looking down at me. His eyes caught my gaze, and I felt like I would never be able to look away. He was mesmerizing me...and the more I starred back into his eyes, the faster my heart beated.

And then, just like that he turned his head back to the front of the classroom. I felt released from his gaze and my heart slowed a little. Another note hit my desk and I reached to grab it.

_'that was intense.'_

The lights suddenly flickered on catching my attention. Mr Riley walked to the front and called the class to order.

"I hope you were all paying attention because there will be a quiz on Wednesday about this video," He glanced up at the clock, "The bell will ring in a minute. Class is dismised."

I rose to my feet. I hated sitting for long periods of time. I grabbed my books and made my way towards the door where I met Alice and Sage. Out of The crowd, I could see Cyrus making his way towards us. 

I didn't mind Cyrus for the most part, but there was something about him that bothered me. He has had a crush on me since 8th

grade and ever since I found that out, its been kind of awkward. He's nice and all, but he's a bit clingy. Cyrus was a lot like Sage. They were cousins, and like Sage, he has relitavely good looks. The only thing that spoils it is his crooked nose. He has dark hair like Sage, but has brown eyes.

We made our way through the crowded hallway to our English classroom. We took our seats and pulled out our homework that had been assigned from before the break.

English went by in a Flash. I didn't pay attention much. It wasn't my strongest subject. Before I knew what had happened, the bell rang, signalling that it was lunch. Everyone raced out of their seats and headed to the cafeteria. I was never a fan of the cafeteria food so I usually brought my own. Today I didnt, so I had to stand in line like everyone else.

Alice, Sage, Cyrus and I stood near the end. Sage was always slow getting to and from her locker. Alice and Sage continued their conversation from this morning including me whenever they could. Cyrus just stood beside glaring. I thought at first he was glaring at me, but the I realised that he was looking behind me. I turned to see who he was looking at, and found to my surprise that it was the table in the far corner that was isolated from everyone else. At it sat Jasper and two other people, who I gathered where his brother and sister.

As if His name had been called by one of us, Jasper turned his head. His eyes locked with mine again and I could feel my heart beat faster and faster with every second. Hie eyes were mesmerizing but I noticed that they seemed darker, an almost blackish color from what they had looked like earlier. His gaze held mine for what seemed like an eternity, then just as before, he turned away.

Released from his gaze, I turned to join in the converstation with Alice and Sage. What they were saying wasn't registering in my head, so I just pretended. I could feel Cyrus grow cold beside me. I didn't know what was up with him. 

I ended up just getting a salad for lunch. Ever since my eyes met his, my stomach was doing this flip floppy thing.

I headed to my third class early. It was the only class that I actually hated with a Passion. I have never liked biology. I sat in my normal seat and starred at the black board. Mr. Sherman stepped in front of the class and to my dissmay, he had a follower. A beautiful copper haired follower.

"Class as you may already know this is Jasper Stone. He is a new student at our school." He turned to face Jasper, "Now where shall we put you?"

Mr Sherman looked around the classroom. I saw that the only open desk was the one in front of me. It used to belong to a guy named Tyler, but he had been in an accident and had to resign from school. Jasper sat down in front of me. There was an aroma coming from him that I decided that I liked very much.

Biology went by in a flash. Next was drama. I didn't mind drama, drama just didn't like me. I had terrible acting skills, and I felt sorry for Alice when we were partnered together and I forgot my lines or messed up somehow. I was only taking this course for extra credits, where as Alice actually wanted to be an actress when she was older.

We didn't do much. we rehearsed what we had done before the break. Alice and I had been asigned a shakespearean play that we were to preform in front of the class next week.

When the bell rang, I didnt waste anytime getting out the door to my truck. The day had been long and almost unbearable. The whole thing with Jasper and his eyes screwed my day up. I found myself thinking of him during class when I shouldn't be.

I dug into my bag hoping to find my keys, but to my dismay, I forgot them in my locker. I needed to get home quick, so I hurried back into the school.

The halls were now empty and silent. I was just turning the corner when I hit something hard that sent me to the ground.

"Great.." I muttered.

I heard a chuckle come from in front of me. Looking up, I realized that I hadn't run into something. I ran into Someone. Jasper. The perfect faced new kid at the school.

His eyes peered down at me. He seemed to be studying my face, and like earlier, before Biology, his eyes were a deep emerald green again. he streched his hand out towards me. I took it without hesitation and he pulled me to my feet as if I weighed as much as a feather.His skin was cool against mine, like he had just taken it out of a snow bank.

"Are you okay?" he asked. 

His voice was soft and velevty. The way that he spoke those words, made my knees weak. It was as if he was an angel sent from god himself, solely to torture me.

"I'm fine..." I finally said, trying not to look at him.

I heard him chuckle again, but this time it was softer. I took a chance at looking at him, hoping that he was not looking at me. I didn't want to get caught up in his eyes again. Relief washed over me when I saw him looking to the side, his face hard. I had a feeling that he was thinking. At that moment, he shifted his head towards me. His eyes were soft and it seemed like he wanted to say something, but wasn't able to.

Behind him a voice called his name. I looked up to see a dark haired girl with his pale translucent skin standing about ten feet away. I could see her features from here, and could see that she too, was beautiful with her deep emerald green eyes, her perfect hair, her perfect posture. She was even more beautiful than Sage, who this morning I had been convinced was the prettiest girl in school. But now to see this girl here, the one who I gathered was Jasper's sister, my mind had changed.

He turned to face her and began walking. he stopped halfway there, looking back at me.

"I'll see ya around. Try not to run into anything else, Ok?" he said, amused. 

I could feel my cheeks turn red as he continued towards his sister. I wondered why he had such an effect on me. Why was it that whenever I was around him, I felt helpless? Like he would say anything and I would just melt to the ground?

Realizing what time it was, I hurried back to my locker. Once I opened it, I saw my keys on the top shelf. Underneath them, was a folded peice of paper that I didn't reconize. It hadn't been there before when I had first left the school. I grabbed it along with my keys and headed back to my truck.

Once outside, the smell of rust and salt bombarded me. This was a smell that I usually associated with blood. Most people say that humans can't smell blood no matter how good their sense of smell is. But its the smell of rust and salt, that makes my stomach queasy. Last year in Chemistry, someone had pricked their finger on a peice of broken glass, and I instantly had felt sick. I didn't even see the blood, I just smelt it.

Over at the corner of the building, I saw a trail of dirt leading away from the main entrance. Being curious was always in my nature, so I decided to follow. I hoped that I was wrong about the whole blood thing. Once around the corner, I saw that there was a boy lying on the sidewalk. I hurried over to them to make sure that he was okay.

Once by his side, the smell of rust and salt became overwhelming. He was laying on his side, so I turned him onto his back so that I could see what was wrong. That was a big mistake. His eyes were white, and his skin was freezing. I knew instantly that he was dead. The only thing that I saw were two puncture marks on the side of his neck, with blood seeping from them. 

My first reaction was to scream, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out. I didn't know what to do. Nothing like this ever happened in White Lake. This had always been a peaceful little town with no crime at all. That's why the government had sent my mom and I here.

The only thing that I could think of, was to reach for my cell phone and call the police. They would know what to do. I dialed the famous 911 number and waited for someone to answer.

"White Lake police station, how may I help you?" a calm female voice answered.

I could feel tears whelling in my eyes, "Yes, hello. Um my name is Raya MaCayle..."I sobbed.

"Calm down honey. Take your time, where are you?"

"I'm at the high school..." my voice trailed off, "There's been...well...someone's been killed." I finally managed to say.

The tears were running down my face now. I waited for the girl to answer me, and after what had seemed like an eternity she spoke.

"I'll have someone down there pronto. just hand on there honey." and the phone went dead.

I didn't know what to do. What to say when the police got here. My head started spinning. I couldn't believe what had happened. Someone was dead. Never to see the light of day again.

In the distance I could hear sirens getting close. This made me cry even more, the reality of it actually starting to set in. In seconds, I could feel a hand on my shoulder. Someone grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet. They dragged me towards one of the ambulances in the parking lot. A blanket was wraped around my shoulders, and a glass of water was handed to me. I took it and drank it eargerly. I wiped away the tears that stained my face.

I could see about four police men standing by the body, examining it. The one on the far left turned to look at me. His face was cold and hard as he made his way towards me. There was something off about him. On his left shoe, there were a couple of drops of what appeared to be blood. I found it strange that there was blood on his shoes when there wasn't even blood at the crime scene. The only blood that there had been was a little bit on the victims neck, and the officer hadn't been anywhere near his neck.

The officer looked at me concered. He was a small man, with dark hair and deep green eyes. Probably in his late 30's. He studdied my face.

"How old are you miss MaCayle?" he asked, his voice was soft but at the same time it had a hard note to it.

"Seventeen." my voice cracked. 

I could feel more tears whell up in my eyes. Raising the blanket I wiped them away. The officer nodded his head.

"And how did you find the body?" his voice turned harsh.

I told him everything. From forgetting my keys in my locker to coming out and seeing the trail of dirt and smelling the blood. He just nodded and jotted everything down as I said it, making sure that he got every detail that he needed.

After he got all that I had to say, he called another officer over. They talked among themselves, before turning to me. The one that he had called over took my statement and headed to one of the cars. I could see out of the corner of my eye that they were loading the body into the other ambulance.

"If you remember anything else at all miss MaCayle, please feel free to let me know.": He handed me a card that had his name on and walked away. One of the paramedics came over with another glass of water.

"Are you going to be alright to drive yourself home or should we have someone drop off your truck?"

"I'll be fine." I jumped down and headed towards my truck.

I watched as everyone else pulled out of the parking lot before I headed out. This was going to be a long week.


	3. Chapter 2 Secret Admirer

I walked into the house late that day. The sun was already setting, giving the sky that nice gold tint. The house was still empty, but I had expected that. Mom's days were getting longer now, since business is picking up.

I walked over to the kitchen and dropped my books on the table. The house was too quiet for my liking, so I decided to turn the news on. I was a little anxious to see who the kid was that I had found earlier. I had been crying so much that I hadn't even looked at his face.

The hum of the T.V filled the room. Walking back into the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator door as an automatic response. I knew that I should eat, the paramedics had even said that once I got home I should eat, just in case I start to go into stock.

There was nothing in there, so I looked in the cupboard. I sat down and started looking through my homework. I reached for the pen that I had stashed in my pocket.

Reaching into my pocket, I not only found my pen, but also a piece of folded paper. I unfolded the paper to see a delicate scroll printed on it. The writing was like nothing I had ever seen. It was elegant, much neater than mine.

Raya,

I do wonder what you do in your spare time. There is something about you that I am drawn too. I do not wish to be drawn so, but I am a selfish creature, intent on getting anything that I want. And right now, I am afraid, what I want is you.

Please reply. Leave a note in your locker, and I will get it.

I looked at the note curiously. Someone, liked…me? Other than Cyrus? I wondered how it was, and why they had not said anything sooner. I grabbed a piece of paper and began writing my reply.

I am very curious as to who you are. And thank you for reassuring me that you are not Cyrus. How will you get my reply if it is in my locker? Can you tell me what you look like, or at least give me a hint as to who you are? How well do we know each other?

Raya

I Folded the paper and looked at the window. There were lights outside of the house. I rinsed my dish and walked into the den to look out the window. Mom's red corvette was parked in the front, but I could see that she was not alone.

I sat on the couch, trying not to look like I knew she was home. I turned to the news as she walked in, her guest right behind her. It wasn't until she walked into the dent that I saw that it wasn't just one guest that was with her, but four.

I felt butterflies in my stomach when I saw her; The dark haired beauty with the deep emerald green eyes, standing there in the doorway. My mom looked at me and smiled.

"Hi honey," she said.

"Hey…mom" my voice shook.

My eyes darted around the room. There were two figures behind the dark haired girl, both of whom I could not see. The man standing next to my mom was tall and Blond. He also had the deep emerald green eyes that I was starting to get used to.

"Honey," my mom began, "This is Dr. Stone. He works at the hospital with me."

The Dr. raised his hand in protest, "Please, call me Terran."

I stared at him, and he must of thought I was rude. I now knew where the kids had gotten their looks from. He was handsome, better than any movie star I had ever seen.

"Hello….I'm Raya." I finally muttered.

He smiled, "Hello Raya." His voice was almost as seductive as someone else's I knew, someone that I was sure was in this room at this very moment.

He turned towards the others. The two that had been concealed by shadow, now stepped into the light. My heart jumped when I saw his oh to perfect face.

"These are my foster children. Desiree, Jasper and Adian." He pointed to each one as he said their names, " Jasper and you I believe, share a couple of classes."

I nodded my head, unable to take my eyes off of Jasper. Here he was standing in the middle of my hallway looking back at me. A smile played on his lips as he watched me. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Adian was also watching me, but with a different look in his eyes.

Adian was different from Jasper and Desiree. Instead of the dark hair that they possessed, he had blond hair, just like the Terran. He was tall, but had a heavier build than Jasper. I guessed that it was mostly muscle. His eyes were the same deep emerald green though. He had a playful face, and looked like he was joker of the family.

My mom smiled, happy to see that we were somewhat getting along.

"So," she said, breaking the silence, "How about a game of monopoly?"

"Shall we all go into the kitchen then?" Terran said, gesturing for my mom to go.

She took the lead, and he followed, Desiree close behind. Adrian took a look at me, and hurried after her, leaving me and Jasper alone.

My eyes darted instantly to his face. His eyes sparkled in the light. I could see that something was bothering him.

I was the first to take a step, but immediately stopped when he moved towards me. His eyes grew hard and cautious. He moved closer to me, never looking away. I could feel my heart start to beat faster, and cursed myself. The smile faded as he moved.

"This isn't right…." His voice was darker than usual.

"What?" I asked, not really wanting to know.

His eyes glowed, and suddenly the smile returned to his lips. His green eyes penetrated me, and at that instant, it felt as if he could read my thoughts.

"You and your mom are--"

"JASPER! RAYA! aren't you coming?" my mom's voice called from the other room.

I looked at him. He stepped aside and gestured for me to go first. He grabbed my arm as I walked by and pulled me close to him. I could feel his breath on my hair.

"Another time then, I suppose…." He released his grip.

I continued into the kitchen, Jasper close on my heels. I took the seat closest to the wall. My mom was over by the stove cooking. It surprised me that she even knew how to cook. Usually, I was the one who did all the cooking. She had never really learned how to cook, dad always did most of that, but she had always insisted that I learn no matter what. And when he disappeared, there I was, now being the only one in the house who could cook.

I could see out of the corner of my eye, that Aidan was talking to Jasper. He kept glancing my way and grinning. His teeth were too white, like he was from a whitening ad. Jasper rose his hand slowly, and then grabbed his brother's shirt. He said something low, and by the looks of it, Aidan became afraid.

He slowly backed off of Jasper and leaned towards Desiree. She sat there, with her arms crossed, surveying the kitchen. She seemed to like what she saw, because she wasn't making any faces at the poor décor my mother had picked out.

Aidan soon became bored with her and caught my eye. He grinned sheepishly and made his way over to me, chair in hand. He sat down on the chair, his back to Jasper.

"So," he began with a sigh, "What grade are you in?"

I turned to him and smiled, "grade 11. how bout you?"

Of course I already knew the answer. I was just trying to be polite and make small talk. I glanced behind Aidan for a second. I could see that Jasper had now hunched into a pouting position, glaring into Aidan's back. It was like the look of Death, like he truly wanted his brother to die.

His eyes met mine, and at once they became kind. He smiled at me, and I couldn't help the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. I quickly moved my head to the side. My hair covered my face, and I could feel my face turning red.

"Same grade as you, actually."

I looked up at Aidan. I had forgotten that he was there at that moment. He grinned.

"Same as Desiree?" I asked. That one I didn't know.

"Nah, she's in grade 12. She'll be graduating this year."

I nodded my head. So she was the older of the siblings.

"How old are you? I know it's kind of a obvious question, but some people are younger than they appear no matter what grade they are in." he smiled.

"Seventeen. I will be eighteen in a couple of months," I smiled back, it seemed like the right thing to do, "And yourself?"

He laughed, like he was sharing an inside joke with himself, "Just turned seventeen. Jasper over there is gonna be eighteen next September and Desiree will be nineteen by June."

I could see that Jasper was now glaring more intensely at Aidan's back. His eyes were no longer their emerald color, but a deep black. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Not wanting to meet his eyes again and be sent into a daze, I turned my glance over to Desiree.

She was still sitting in the same position. This time though, her eyes were concentrated on me. Her gaze seemed to penetrate right through me, like she could read my mind. She wore a blank expression.

Jasper suddenly stood up and walked out of the room. We all stared after him. Aidan stood to go after him, but Desiree raised her hand in protest. He quickly sat back down and pointed his gaze right at me, along with Desiree.

I sighed and made my way to the living room where he had headed off to. When I arrived in the room, he was sitting on the sofa staring at the blank T.V. I made my way over, and sat as far away from him as possible.

"Is something wrong?" I murmered.

His eyes tore away from the T.V and looked right into mine. I could feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. His eyes were no longer the deep black that they were in the kitchen, but the emerald green that they were when he was in a good mood.

He shook his head, "No, it's just that it's weird being around a normal family..."

"Oh. but my family is not normal...my mother can burn water and I am just about the most clumsy person you will ever meet."

He laughed, "Well, more normal than mine..."

"What do you mean by that? your family seems normal."

He leaned over towards me. His face was now just inches from mine. His gaze locked into mine as a smile played on his lips. I could feel my heart beat faster, as my face turned red. I could smell the sweet aroma coming from him. It was the smell of ginger, and something else that I didn't reconize.

"Things aren't always what they seem..." and with that he was on the other side of the couch again.

I could feel myself breathe easier now, and the color quickly drained from my face. I stared at him, wondering all the while, why he had such an effect on me.

I could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. Jasper looked in that direction and then at me.

"Shall we?" He stood.

I soon followed, noticing that he was quite a bit taller than I was. As we entered the kitchen, I could feel everyone watching us. I resumed my place over by the wall.

Mom smiled when she saw we were back and instantly handed the dog character to me. She handed the horse to Jasper and rolled the dice.

We all took turns rolling the dice to see who would play first. Of course with my luck I ended up being last to play. Aidan was first, followed by Jasper , Desiree, Terran , mom and then me.

When my turn came, I rolled the dice and landed on chance. I picked a card up and read aloud:

"Get out of jail free..." I rolled my eyes.

Aidan grabbed the dice and threw them across the table. He moved, then Jasper, then Desiree and so on. I could feel myself slipping into boredom. Glancing over at Aidan, I could see that he was having a blast. Desiree had gotten out of her quiet mopy self and looked as if she was enjoying it. Mom and Terran laughed the whole way through, but Jasper was the one who caught my eye.

He sat there in a bit of a slouch, watching me. His eyes went up and down me, like they were searching for something. He didn't seem at all interested in the game. When his eyes reached mine, he smiled, and I could feel at that moment that my face was turning red and my heart started beating faster and faster.

I tried to look away, but his gaze was mesmerizing; it held me in place, making me become weak. I didn't want him to look away, to keep me there forever.

He suddenly turned his head towards the hallway. In seconds, the doorbell rang and mom had jumped to her feet.

A few seconds later, mom came into the room holding a letter. She sat down and looked over the envelope, turning it over a couple of times. After a while, she looked up at me with worried eyes and handed it to me.

I took it and examined the document. I could feel everyone watching me, anixously waiting for me to open it. I slowly tore the top off, and lifted the folded paper inside of it. I unfolded the plain paper, and read the delicate scroll. After a second, I gasped and covered my mouth in sadness.

The paper dropped out of my hands. I had completely forgotten about earlier. Mom instantly grabbed the fallen letter and started reading outloud;

"To those who have not heard of the terrible tradgedy that occured earlier at the White Lake High School, please be informed that Mr. Cody Osment was found dead at 3:56 p.m by an annonymos young lady." She paused and looked up at Terran.

"We send our condolences out to the Osment family and to all those who were close to Cody. He will be dearly missed as he was student body president and a good friend to all those around him."

I looked over at Jasper who was quietly talking to Aidan. It looked like he was giving Aidan shit, but he was denying it. Aidan threw his arms into the air with an angry look on his face. I wanted to know what they were talking about, but their voices were to low for me to hear.

Terran reached across the table and placed an arm on my mothers shoulder. She smiled gently at him. His eyes were kind and filled with sadness and regret. Terran turned to look at me.

"Did you know him?"

I shook my head, "Ya, since kindergarten."

My eyes wandered the room till they met Jasper's. He watched me, studying my every move. His eyes were filled with regret and sadness.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur. Aidan told us all jokes, some that were even funny. After a while I had completely forgotten about Cody.

All the while Aidan had kept his eyes on me, while mine were locked with Jasper's. He never laughed, just smiled. Every once in a while he broke eye contact with me to look at Aidan, but it never lasted long.

For the first time in years, I was having fun. Real fun. Not the kind that you have when your with your friends and your out somewhere. No, it was so much better than that.


	4. Chapter 3 White Roses

I woke at a faint light coming throught the window. I peered over at the clock, reading the numbers on it; 6:30 a.m.

Sighing I climbed out of bed and made my way to the window. Outside, the sun was hidden behind clouds making the sky grey.

I looked over at the jeans folded on my desk. Today was going to be difficult. I was just happy that they had not said who had found him in that letter.

When I emerged from my room, I could hear my mom's silent snore's coming from her room. I strolled down the stairs and looked around. The place was a mess from the night before.

I sighed and made my way out the door. There was a slight breeze that caught me off guard. It made the day feel colder than it should. Looking at the sky, it looked like it might snow later. There was only one problem with that; it never snowed here.

It was February right now, and all winter, we had seen no snow; nor the year before. I climbed into my truck and slipped the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life. I pulled slowly out of the driveway and made my way down the street.

It was unusually quiet. While passing Cody's house, I could see his father sitting at the table with his head burried in his hands. A sudden wave of grief passed over me.

Upon arriving in the parking lot, I saw that there was only one other car parked there. A silver chevy solstice. I parked a couple of stalls away from it and cut the engine. Climbing out, I could now see a couple of cars slowly making their way here.

Walking up to the school, I felt numb. I didn't know what to do or say if someone asks who found him.

When I enetered the school, I could see the halls were decorated red and pink. Looking at a poster that hung on a wall, I realized it was Valentine's day.

'Great' I thought to myself.

Valentine's day was way over celebrated here. There was a parade downtown and a community fair by the lake. The worst of it, was at the school. Students would send each other bouquets of roses.

Each rose had a different meaning. Red was for passion, usually sent in a long relationship. Pink was for a secret crush. Yellow symbolized friendship. And the last was white. Nobody ever sent anyone a white rose, not even a boyfriend to a girlfriend, though the office still kept it as an option. White symbolized unconditional love.

I continued down the empty hallway. Once at my locker, I dropped the folded note onto my books, where I had found the last one. I quickly closed my locker and made my way to the chemistry classroom.

Carefully, I placed my books on the table. When I turned, I fell backwards against the desk. I grabbed my chest breathing heavily staring at the boy who stood right in front of me.

"You scared me!!" I cried.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." His voice was apoligetic.

He smiled at me, his eyes locking with mine. I couldn't help but smile back. For some reason, it felt like he had some sort of control over me. Like if he told me to do something, without question, I would do it.

"Jasper!" a familiar voice called from behind.

He turned as I stepped to the side to see who it was. Aidan stood in the doorway with an annoyed look on his face. He turned slightly to see me, and then smiled.

"Good morning Raya."

"Morning Aidan."

Jasper turned back towards me, "Excuse me," and turned to leave with Aidan.

When They were out of sight, I slouched against my desk, my heart still racing from the little scare that was inflicted on me. I closed my eyes, slowing my breathing.

When I opened them again, Desiree stood right in front of me with a serious look on her face. I jumped back as far as I could, my heart racing again.

"What is it with you guys and scaring me like that?"

She smiled, but then turned back to her serious self. "Raya, understand me when I say this. The closer you get to us, the more danger you will be in."

I blinked at her. A hand reached out and grabbed Desiree's shoulder. She turned to see Jasper towering over her. Her face became frustrated. She shook off his hand and looked at me with a pleading look before she turned and left.

All the while, Jasper smiled watching her leave. He turned to me when she was out of sight.

"Pay no mind to her."

I cocked my head, confused. "But you said the same thing last night."

He looked at me, his face became hard. "I said alot of things last night that you should pay no mind to."

He walked by me slowly, the air around him whipped over towards me. I could smell the sweetness of ginger like the night before.

"Raya!"

I looked up at the doorway where the voice had come from. I could see Alice standing there waiting for me, her eyes looked eager as she looked at me then looked over at Jasper.

I turned to see where Jasper was. He was over looking out the window with a smile on his face. I made my way over to where Alice stood.

"So what's new?" she giggled, looking over at Jasper.

I grabbed her arm and headed away from the classroom, aware that Jasper was watching the whole time.

"It's not what it looks like." I said harshly.

She smiled, "Sure it's not."

I rolled my eyes. Once Alice got something into her head, there was no getting it out.

The halls were more crowded now. I could see over in the corner, people making their last minute selections for the rose delivery. I was early this year and had got mine in at the beginning of February.

"Come on. He's a greek god. I'm..."

"Beautiful." Alice chimmed.

"No, you and Sage are beautiful. I'm...normal."

Alice shook her head, "Raya, when are you gonna learn that it's not all about how you look."

The hall filled with the chime of the bell. Students rushed through the hall towards their classrooms. Alice and I made our way in silence.

When we entered the room, we saw in the corner all the little bundels of bouguets. We took our respected seats.

Jasper smiled at me when I sat. His eyes pierced through me.

"Something wrong?" He asked, his voice as smooth as velvet.

I shook my head and looked over at Alice. She shook her head at me and mouthed, _'see.'_

Mr. Riley picked up three yellow bouguets and read the name aloud: "Alice Hudson."

Alice smiled and made her way up to the front to collect the flowers. She looked at me as she made her way back to her seat.

"Tompson O'Ryan, Bertha Jackson, Sage Matthews, Jack Flayle,"

As more and more bouguets were claimed, I could see in the back of them all a bouguet of white roses tied with two yellow and one pink bouguet. When everyone else noticed, the class went dead silent in awe.

"Someone gets...white roses?" Bertha exclaimed.

Mr. Riley grabbed the last four bouguets, "Raya MaCayle."

My heart started racing. I could feel everyone's eyes staring at me. I stood from my chair and made my way to the front of the class. Mr. Riley handed me the four bouguets. I made my way down to my chair, my face beat red.

Alice and Sage starred at me. When I sat, I covered my face with my hair. Starring at my paper, I could hear Mr. Rileys voice fill the room.

"Before class begins, I have an announcement to make. Yesterday, our dear friend Cody Osment was found outside the school. Unfortunately, by the time he was found, he had already passed." He paused and looked over the class.

"I am not supposed to say this, but Cody's body was drained of all the blood. someone had time to drain the blood and get away before anyone saw..." his face turned stern, "a word of caution: do not travel by yourself, until this person is found."

I could hear gasps throughout the classroom. His blood was drained? Who would do such a thing? In the far corner, sobs could be heard.

I sat back in my chair and sighed. I looked over the four bouguets that now sat on my desk. On the white bouguets card, I could see a message scrawled in a delicate manner, of which I instantly reconized.

I picked the card up and read the delicate scroll:

Raya,

I hope you like them. Please do not be frightened. I do know what white means. All my life, I have been searching for someone that would make me feel complete. and by some strange coincidence, I have found you.

I folded the note and placed it in my pocket. I glanced over at Jasper to see that he was faced towards the door. I frowned and followed his gaze.

In the doorway, stood Aidan. His eyes were locked with Jasper's in a horrifying anger. I turned back to Jasper to see the same anger in his eyes.

"Now class, I have an experiment planned for the day..." Mr. Riley said as he handed out glass slides and a microscope to each desk.

"What you are to look for in these slides, is what organism it is. they are all plants, but what plant is what you must find out." he looked around the classroom, "All text books on the floor please. this is a lab exam."

The loud thumping of books being dropped on the floor seemed to awaken Jasper from his angry gaze. He looked around and dropped his book on the floor as everyone else had done.

I slipped a slide onto the microscope and looked over at him.

"Ladies first." he smiled.

I smiled back and looked through the lens. "Onion skin, I think."

I turned the microscope towards him. He peered through the lens. "I agree."

He picked up the next slide and shoved it under the lens. He wrote on a piece of paper what the previous slide had been identified as.

While he was looking at the slide, I glanced at his writing. It appeared to be the same as the note I had recieved the day before and like the one on the bouguet of roses.

I nodded as he passed me the microscope, "leek root.

I peered through the microscope; he was right. I picked up the next slide and replaced the previous.

"Spinach leaf." I passed it over to him.

Looking over at Alice I could see that she was arguing with Tom about what the slide was.

Jasper passed the microscope towards me. "You were right. it was spinach. this one here, is onion root, I think."

I looked through the lens. Again, he was right. Looking at the slides on the desk I saw that there was only four of them which meant that we were done.

"Have you lived here all your life?" Jasper asked.

I looked over at him, "No. Just a couple of years."

"By your tone, I gather that you don't really like it here."

I smiled, "Ya. My mom and I were relocated here from Phenoix when my dad disappeared."

"But you said that you have known Cody since Kindergarten." he said confused.

"I have. He used to live in Pheniox too, but he moved here last year."

I looked at him, wanting to change the subject. "It seems that you and Aidan don't really get along much."

He laughed, "Brotherly love I guess."

I shook my head, "Everytime you two look at each other it's in an angry way though."

"We have our disagreements." He said slowly and turned to the side.

I gathered that that was all I was going to get out of him, so I let it go. I turned over to Sage who was sitting by herself. When she saw me, she waved and smiled. I smiled back. Looking around, she stood up and made her way towards me.

"So, how's it going?"

I smiled, "Good."

She laughed and picked up the white bouguet, "Cyrus is going to be jealous."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jasper watching me, "Let him be."

When I said this, I could see a smile return to his face.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"Not in that way. just as a friend, but he can't seem to get that through his head."

Sage Chuckled. "You know, he will probably never give up on you."

I groaned, "Great. just what I needed to hear."

"Is everyone done then?" Mr. Riley chimmed. Looking around the classroom, he realized it was time to move on.

Sage returned to her desk with a smile on her face. I turned to face the front. The rest of the morning went by quickly. I was eager to get to my locker and see it my secret admirer had left a reply.

When the bell rang signalling it was lunch, I became exited. I made my way to my locker, practically running. When I opened the door, there where I had left my note, was a new one.

I grabbed it and unfolded it, reading the delicate scroll on it.

Raya,

We do not know each other very well I'm afraid. But we will soon. Don't worry, in time I will let you know who I am. But for now, It shall remain a secret.


	5. Chapter 4 Twilight

Mom wasn't home when I got there. I guessed she was staying late at work, and that I would be on my own for dinner. Looking through the pantry, I realized that no one had been shopping in a long time, meaning that there would be nothing to eat. My stomach roared with hunger, filling the empty house with a loud gurgling noise.

I grabbed my keys and went back out to my truck. I was sure that I would find something at the supermarket that I could make for a quick supper. It was only a couple of blocks away, but I tried to fill the silence with some tunes.

I didn't want to think about today, and get too hung up on the idea that someone may like me. But as usual, my mind wandered back to the day's events. The new note and the mysterious bouquet of roses.

I sighed, 'For the time being, I will keep my identity a secret.'

In a perfect world, which this was not, it would be Jasper. That would never happen. He was so...beautiful, and I was...well not.

I pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine. Beside me, I recognized the same silver car that had been parked beside me this morning. I shook my head and climbed out and made my way to the doors.

Inside, I could smell the sweet aroma of fresh bread and buns. I slowly made my way to the Deli, not wanting to make a large meal. I looked at all the sandwiches that were stacked in a row. Beside them, lay the salads. Nothing seemed to grab my attention.

Out of no where, I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart jumped. I slowly turned to see who had scared me.

He had a smile on his face, the same as almost any other time that I see him. His eyes portrayed a deep feeling of kindness.

"Jasper!" I exclaimed, "Why do you always do that to me?! You and your family are going to give me a heart attack one day!"

He chuckled, "Sorry. I really am. I don't try to sneak up on you."

I glared at him. His eyes watched me, making me smile.

"Raya! What are you doing here?" a voice called from behind.

I groaned as I turned to see who I knew it was. He was advancing towards us quickly, a smile across his face. I doubt that he had seen Jasper.

"So what are you doing here??" he asked. He turned to look at Jasper. The smile that had once been across his face had now disappeared.

"Oh." His voice was harsh, "What are you doing tonight?"

I stood there, frozen. "I-I uh...I was actually--" I glanced quickly over at Jasper, searching for help.

"Actually, we were going to see a movie." Jasper chimed.

Cyrus looked over at him, annoyed. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Really?" he looked at me with pleading eyes.

I nodded my head. He turned his head away disappointed. I glanced up at Jasper and mouthed thank-you.

"If you want, you can come..." Jasper said.

I glared at him. He nodded at me and mouthed, watch. We both turned towards Cyrus.

"No, no that's okay. I'll see you later..."

I sighed. Japer stood watching me. His golden eyes made my heart flutter.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"Huh?"

Jasper chuckled, throwing his head back. "I told him I was taking you to a movie, and I intend to not be called a liar."

"B-but. I"

He raised his hand in protest and smiled. "Come. It will be fine." He started walking away and then stopped. "Coming?"

I hurried behind him. He slowed to match my pace, making us side by side.

"I'm pretty sure that we both drove here, and neither of us will leave our vehicle here, so I will follow you back to your house. From there, we'll take my car to the theater."

I looked up at him. He had this planned out so...nicely. We were now in the parking lot. He walked me to my truck and opened the door for me.

I smiled and climbed in. He shut the door behind me, and then climbed into the little silver car beside me.

I turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. The ride home was fast. It seemed like just a couple of seconds, when I pulled into the driveway.

I jumped out of my truck and slowly made my way over to the little silver car parked on the side. As I approached, the passenger side door flew open. The sweet smell of ginger filled the air. I climbed in slowly, almost cautiously.

All the while, I could feel Jasper's eyes watching me, silently smiling. As soon as I closed the door, we were off. He turned towards me, not watching the road.

"Oh My God! You're not watching the road!"

"Calm down, I've never been in an accident."

I stared at him, "There's a first for everything!"

He laughed and turned back to the road, "Better?"

I sighed, "Yes."

"What do you want to go see?" he asked slowly. He was careful not to take his eyes off the road.

"I'm not sure what's in..." I admitted.

Movies were not really my thing. In the whole time that I had lived here, I had gone to the theatre maybe once. I wasn't interested in any of the movies that played. They were all love stories; ones that made my life look so pathetic.

"Um...I think that there's one called Twilight, The Incredible Hulk, The new Harry Potter, and Kung Fu Panda."

"What's Twilight about?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment, seeking the right words to describe it. "It's a vampire movie..."

We were approaching the theater now. The bright lights shone against the dull sky. I looked over at Jasper. His eyes glistened in the bright lights.

"How bout that one? All the others seem...well kind of boring."

He smiled, "If that's what you want to see."  
I nodded. We pulled into the parking lot. Jasper found a spot close to the doors and pulled smoothly in. Everyone around us stared. I admit that this wasn't the classiest town, no. Most of the vehicles here were old, and rusted. Even the adults had older cars. My mom had always said, that the older, the better. When people saw something new like this, they tended to stare. It was a given right around here. Someone who was able to afford a new car such as this would be considered rich.

Jasper cut the engine and climbed out. I undid my seatbelt, and as I was reaching for the handle, the door opened suddenly. A hand stretched out towards me. I took it without hesitation. The feeling of his cool skin against mine sent Goosebumps up my spine. In a swift movement, I was standing on my feet. I was so close to Jasper that I could feel him breathing.

The car door closed, and Jasper began walking. Only now did I notice that he still had my hand cupped in his. We walked towards the door in silence. He pulled it open for me and let me go first. Inside I could smell the aroma of popcorn and butter. He led me up to the teller.

"Two for Twilight, please." He handed the teller a 20 and then received his change. He led me into the lobby, where he stopped to look at me.

"Are you hungry?"

I shook my head, but my stomach had other plans. It let out a large growl of hunger, giving me away.

He chuckled, "What would you like?"

"Maybe...just some popcorn..."

He walked up to the snack counter and looked at the clerk on the other side. She was tall with a pretty face. She smiled at him, "What can I get for you?"

"A medium popcorn and just a water please." He gave her a ten.

She smiled at him. I could tell that he had the same effect on her as he did on me and everyone else. That charming smile and velvety voice...

She returned his change and set the popcorn and water on the counter. "Enjoy," she glanced at me, "the show."

"Thank you." Jasper replied, smiling. He turned away from her.

He led me towards the doors to the theater we were in. We found a seat in the back row. When we sat down he handed me the popcorn.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know."

"What?" he asked confused.

I had never seen him confused before, and it made me smile.

"You probably gave that poor girl a heart attack."

"What do you mean?"

Now it was my turn to chuckle, "You haven't noticed, have you?"

"Noticed what?" he was genuinely confused now.

"What you do to people. Its not healthy you know."

"What do I do to them?"

I stared at him, either he really didn't know, or he was a really good actor.

"It's like you...dazzle them."

"Really. And how is that?"

"I...don't really know...I think that it's just who you are..." my voice trailed off.

He nodded his head slowly. "And do I...dazzle you?" he sounded hopeful.

"It's been known to happen."

I looked over at him. His face had turned slightly harsh. He shook his head, almost angrily.

"What's wrong?" I asked, had I said something wrong?

"Nothing...we'll talk more about it later..." he trailed off as the lights went down.

The previews were nothing fancy. I had seen them all on TV a couple of times in the last couple of days. When the movie came on, it seemed somewhat familiar. The way that she moved there, the way that Edward acted in the movie...the way everything was just so...so much the same...well except that he had moved here when this started, not me...and neither of us was a vampire. I think.

But honestly, a vampire? No I think not. Although, so many things fit his personality. The sudden mood changes. His eyes changing colors allot. The way he never seemed to eat. Or be hungry. The way his skin was always cold, and transparent. He was super smart, like me. He was lightning fast. He had that charming smile, velvet voice...

What am I thinking? A vampire? Come on! There's no such thing!

I glanced over at him. He watched the screen. The lights danced around his face, illuminating his eyes. I couldn't help but wonder...the way he had hesitated in the car when I asked what the movie was about. The way that he seemed not to like my reply when he asked me if he had ever hypnotized me...

I turned back to the screen. Edward, couldn't go out in the sunlight. If he did, his skin would glitter like a thousand diamonds. He was strong and fast.

If I said something, would he think me nuts? Would he think I was crazy?

I glanced up at him again, this time he wasn't looking at the screen. He was looking at me. I smiled at him. He slowly returned the smile and looked back at the screen.

When the movie was done, we exited the theater. In the foyer, I could see that it had gotten brighter outside. I smiled secretly to myself.

Jasper stopped abruptly. I looked up at him wondering what was up. He was looking over in the corner with a harsh look. Almost protective. I turned to see what had gotten his attention.

Over in the corner there stood a dark figure. He was tall and hunched over. I couldn't really see his face, but his eyes glowed gold against the darkness that surrounded him. Just looking at him gave me Goosebumps.

He watched us carefully, making sure not to move. Jasper put his arm around my waist and slowly walked to the door, making sure that my back was to the man. He slowly opened the door.

The sun was covered by a cloud, giving everything a dull look. I was disappointed when we got into the car, but I tried my hardest not to let it show.

I buckled my seatbelt just as Jasper climbed in. We sat there for a moment in silence before he said something.

"He's been following us..."

I jumped. That creeper was following us? How come I didn't notice?

"Since the grocery store. he got there the same time that you did, and was just a couple of steps behind us when we left. he didn't follow us all the way to your house, but came straight here where he waited until we went in."  
I looked up at him. "I wonder what he wants..."

"I don't think you want to know."

This surprised me. "Do you know?"

"Somewhat."

I looked down at the floor. We pulled out of the parking lot slowly, and then sped off.Behind us, I could see a small black car following us. In the drivers side, I reconized the man from the theater. I shuttered. Sensing my discomfort Jasper reached over and cupped my hand in his, though, he never took his eyes off the road.

"It's okay. I won't let him touch you." he said in a calm cool voice.

After hearing these words, I calmed down a little. There was something about him that made me feel safe. Safer than ever actually. We were headed towards an intersection where the light was about to turn red. Jasper stepped on the gas as we flew through the light. The light changed just in time to stop our unwanted follower at the intersection, as we raced away.

We circled the block a couple of times before Jasper decided it was safe to take me home.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yea, I think so."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

I stared at him with open eyes, "What do you mean your sorry? it wasn't your fault he was following us."

He turned to look at me. His eyes were so dark that they looked black in the car.

"No...thats not what I was apoligizing for..." he paused and leaned in closer to me.

His eyes burned into mine. I could smell the sweet ginger that I liked so much. His hand lifted and touched my face in an easy swift movement. He smiled at me as he leaned a little closer. Our foreheads were touching now.

"I meant that I am sorry for this..." And with a quick movement, he pulled me closer and locked our lips together.


	6. Chapter 5 Truth

I walked up the stairs and opened the door. The house was still lit, which meant that mom was still up. I could hear the faint sound of the T.V in the living room.

My heart still pounded from what had happened a minute ago. My lips still burned from where he touched them. I breathed calmly, trying to calm my nerves down.

I walked slowly into the living room to say goodnight to mom. When I got there, she was curled into a ball on the couch crying into someone's arms. I stopped in my tracks to take a better look at who was here.

When They moved, I saw that it was only Terran. Over in the corner, I saw Desiree slumped beside Aidan.

"Mom?" I said, walking towards her, "What's wrong?"

She lifted her head and looked at me. I could see that she had been crying for a long time now.

"It's...Trinity...She's been killed."

I stood there, horror struck. "What!?" I yelled.

Mom turned back to Terran and began sobbing again. Aidan jumped up and came over to my side. I looked down at the floor.

Tinity? no, not her. She was mom's best friend. The one that every mom needs, to be able to tell secrets and stories to. The one That comforts them when their sad, takes them out to movies. Trinity was such a nice person. She had never done anything wrong to anybody. She was a volunteer down at the charity house, and helped anyone who needed it.

Aidan wrapped his arm around me. I just stood there limp, not knowing what to do.

"It seems that she was...that she passed in the same way as your friend Cody." Terran said.

I shook my head. Everything was spinning. My knee's felt like jello beneath me. I could feel myself falling, but had no drive to try to catch myself. I had almost hit the floor, when someone scoopped me up in their arms. I rested my head against their chest, listening for their heartbeat. When I didn't hear it, I looked up at the person who held me.

Jasper looked down at me with worried eyes. To see him there startled me. I had had no recolection of him coming inside.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

I looked down at the ground. Then back up at him.

"I...I don't know..." The world started spinning again.

Why her? Why Cody? What had they ever done to anyone?

Aidan looked over at me with sad eyes. I knew that he was worried to. He glanced up at Jasper. When their eyes met, they both nodded at each other. Jasper turned his head over to Desiree and Terran, who also nodded in agreement of some unspoken arrangement.

"I'm taking her up to her room. I think she's had enough for one night." Jasper turned towards the staircase and started walking.

He carried me all the way up the stairs and into my room like he was holding a feather. He was either very strong or very polite for not showing that I was heavy.

He slowly placed me on my bed and sat beside me. He breathed heavily for a moment and then turned to look at me.

"There's something that you need to know..." he trailed off.

I looked at him with curious eyes, did he have to bring it up now?

"We haven't been completely honest with you." he paused to look at my reaction, "The truth is...we're not like you."

I stared at him, "What do you mean?"

"This is hard to say...we're not human."

"What?" I was utterly confused now.

He sat back and looked at me. "How am I going to explain this?..."

I watched him carefully. I didn't know what he was talking about. I searched my memory for anything that would help me understand. In an instant, I remembered the movie from earlier. Twilight. How all the way through it, I had thought it had given me clues as to why Jasper was the way he was. I had been constantly thinking that he may be a vampire. Wait a second, thats it.

"A..."I was unsure as to how to say it. What if I was wrong? What if I just blurted something strange and he laughed at me?

"Go on...?" he urged.

"V-a-m-p-i-r-e...?" I said slowly.

His eyes dropped to the bed. He shook his head, "So you figured it out."

He turned away from me. Without any control over my body. I moved over to his side. I slowly reached my hand out and cupped his. His skin was cool against my skin, sending goosebumps down my spine.

His head shot over to look at me. His eyes were kind, yet harsh. He studied me. I looked deep into his eyes and saw something I never thought I would see in him; Fear.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked uncertain.

I shook my head, "No. To be perfectly honest..."my voice trailed off.

I looked down at our hands.He probably wouldn't like what I had to say next.

"Be honest with me. what is it you were going to say?" His free hand moved under my chin and lifted my head up so that I could see right in his eyes.

"I've never felt safer with anyone, than I do with you..."

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what his reaction was. After a moment of silence, I thought it safe enough to open them again. When I looked at him, I not only saw fear, I saw worry, anger, happyness, and something else I didn't reconize.

"I'm sorry if that upset you..." I was sorry.

"No, you didn't upset me. I'm just angry with myself." he turned his head to face the window. "I knew it would happen. It was my fault that it did. ever since my first day here, I knew something would happen. I wasn't sure what at first, until I met you." He turned back to face me when he said the last bit.

"I-I dont' understand." and I didn't.

I was quite confused actually. He knew something would happen? What is he talking about? Till he met me? Wait! Is he? Could he be the one who's been sending me the notes and the flowers? I felt my face flush at the thought.

"Desiree...she can see things. Things that happen in the future. She saw you. She saw us together. She told me to beware, that the closer that I get to you, the more danger that you will be in." he stopped to look at me.

I processed the information as quickly as possible. My head was spinning from everything that had been happening in the last week.

"She told me to stay away...but when I saw you for myself...I just couldn't. When I saw you for the first time it was like I had been hit by lightning. The smell of your blood was overwhelming. I wanted to go straight over to you and drain you right there."

"But part of me wouldn't let me do it. I knew I could never harm you, no matter what. If anything, I would be the one protecting you. When your mom invited us over that one night, I thought Desiree would have a cow. She didn't want to get involved with you. But most of all, she didn't want me to get involved with you."

"I couldn't help myself. I found myself following you. Everywhere you went, I was just a couple steps behind you. I had to make sure you were alright. You seem to have a knack for falling and running into things. I even stayed outside and watched you sleep for a while every night..."

"What? don't you have to sleep?" I asked interupting him.

"No. They always say that you have time to sleep when your dead, but in my case you can't. Vampire's can't sleep. We don't require it."

I thought about this for a moment. "You followed me? But why?"

He thought about it for a moment and then answered. "Because I found myself falling in love with you. Its only been a couple of weeks since we got here...but I couldn't imagine life without you now."

He moved closer to me. His arm wrapped around me in a tight embrace.

"For a while I thought that you didn't feel the same. And it made me depressed. So I started sending you notes to spark your interest. It didn't take long." He paused and looked at me with a smile, "Did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

"What?!" I shrieked.

No! I couldn't talk in my sleep! What had he heard?

"Calm down," he chuckled.

"What do I say?" I asked truly terrified.

"Sometimes you talk about your dad and how you miss him. Sometimes, you want a dog, and then there are times when you say people's names..."

I looked at him petrified, "Have I ever said your name?"

His smiled broadened, "Yes, the most actually. That made me happy. Knowing that I was on your mind almost as much as you are on mine."

My face flushed. I could feel the blood rushing around. It probably made him thristy. I looked up at him. His eyes had become lighter. He still had the smile on his face from before.

"Do you have any uhm...powers?" I asked him.

"I do.I can read minds...well kind of. I can hear what they are thinking, and any thought that they have ever had."

I gulped.

"But for some reason, I can't get anything from you. When I try to get something from your mind, its like getting static on the radio. Like you have a shield around your head or something. I've never had that happen to me and it makes me angry."

I was surprised to hear this. "So...you can't read _MY_ mind?"

He shook his head, "I don't know why...but with you it just doesn't work."

"How does it work?"

He hesitated, "The closer I am to a person, the louder it their voice inside their head is."

I nodded. I didn't know what else to do. No one had ever told me anything like this. Never. I mean up until just a while ago, vampires weren't real. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if Sage or Alice turned out to be a witch, and hey, if they are, they can join the party.

Jasper drew in a deep breath. "Is this too much for you?"

I looked at him and tried to find out what I really thought. "No, actually, its not. surprisingly, I don't feel any different."

I gazed into his eyes. He seem relieved now for some reason. I let out a breath and looked away. A vampire? A mind reading vampire. I thought for a second. I remembered everything that had happened up to now.

"What about Cody and Trinity? Do you know what happened to them?" I asked.

He looked at me and thought. "You remember that guy that was following us earlier?" he said after a while.

I nodded unsure of what he had to do with anything.

"I think that he's the culprit. He was also a vampire. I knew that just cause of how he smelled. I think that he's the one that Desiree was trying to warn me about. The one who is supposed to be dangerous to you."

He looked at me with worried eyes. I couldn't help but look back into them, they were just so beautiful. I knew now at that instant, that he would never let anything happen to me. And that made me feel safe, safer than I have felt in years.

I nodded. It seemed possible. That guy was pretty creepy... and the way that he followed us everywhere... It seemed like the perfect explanation actually.

A knock sounded at the door. Both of us looked at the door in lightning speed. Jasper stood and made his way to the door.

"It's your mom... and Desiree." he hesitated when he said his sister's name.

He slowly turned the knob and opened the door. Light flowed into the room revealing two people in sillouette. They both moved slowly into the room, one more graceful than the other. I knew at once that it was Desiree.

She eyed me curiously. She glanced over at where Jasper stood and he shook his head answering an unspoken question. Mom made her way over to me and sat down. Her arms locked around me as she sobbed on my shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around her to return the embrace. I quickly glanced at Jasper and mouthed the words, _Does she know too?_

He shook his head. She didn't know. It was better that way. She wasn't usually as strong as I am.

"Are you alright?" mom sobbed.

"Ya, I'm okay. Shaken, but alright." She pulled back and studied my face.

She searched for something and I figured that she didn't find what she was looking for since she frowned.

"Your face is all red and tear stained..." her voice trailed off.

I nodded, "Ya. Its been a tough little while."

She tried to smile, "Yes it has."

She glanced around the room. I noticed that Aidan and Terran had joined us.

"But at least we have friends to help us through times like these."

Desiree scowled. Aidan beemed, and Jasper looked joyful. I wonder what he was thinking right now.

"You should call Alice and Sage. They will want to know that your alright."

I nodded in agreement. She stood and walked to the door. She hesitated before fully leaving the room. Terran followed her out with Desiree close behind. Aidan gave a quick glance over to Jasper and turned with an angry expression. He quickly left the room.

"What is it between you and your brother?"

Jasper stared at me and then let out a small laugh. "He...hmmm... he thinks that he has a chance." he left me hanging.

"A chance at what?" my eyes were wide.

"Getting you." he chuckled.

He turned to leave. I jumped up instantly, and wished that I hadn't. Everything around me started spinning. I felt me knees give out and prepared myself to hit the floor.

But just the same as before, I felt someone's cool arms lock around me and set me on the bed. When My head stopped spinning I looked right at Jasper who sat beside me with worried eyes.

"You should stay seated. " he handed me the phone out of no where.

"And then you should call Alice and Sage. your mom is right. they will want to know that your alright." He stood up.

I tried to follow, but his cool hand pressed on my shoulder forcing me to stay seated.

"After you call them you should get some rest." he smiled down at me, "I will see you in the morning."

He turned to leave. "Where are you going?"

He stopped and looked at me. He stood in the hallway and smiled. The light danced around him making him look like an angel.

"To talk to with everyone downstairs."

He closed the door slowly leaving me in darkness.


	7. Chapter 6 Dreams

_'His perfect face smiled down at me. His eyes were mesmerizing. A loud noise sounded in the distance and he turned to see what it had been. His eyes flickered from a emerald green to an almost black color. He started moving towards the noise. _

_I tried to say his name but nothing came out._

_He started walking into the distance, farther and farther away from me. I tried to move, to run to him, but my feet wouldn't budge. The farther he walked the darker the world around me seemed. _

_He was almost out of sight now, and the world around me was almost pure darkness. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure shrouded in black. He moved closer to me, his yellow eyes smiling. Behind him, I saw the sillouette of a dog... no now it was a boy with blue eyes. He moved towards the shrouded figure._

_In the distance I saw Jasper turn back to look at me. His eyes flickered to the shrouded figure and then to the boy. Anger, fear and worry crossed his face and he started running back towards me. _

_I glanced over at the figure, to see he was standing right beside me. I tried to let out a scream, but nothing came out. His yellow eyes glared at me._

_"Raya..." _

I woke with a scream. Grey light seeped through the curtains. I slowly sat up, not wanting to feel dizzy. I took a couple deep breaths in to calm myself. Cold sweat poured down my body. I gave a quick glance around the room to take in the surroundings. The alarm clock beside my bed read 7:30 a.m.

I stood up, and began dressing. I reached into my pants pocket to put my phone in. When my hand emerged from my pocket, it held a small card. On it there was a name and a phone number; Constable Martin Destrom 686-7340.

I shoved it back into my pocket. Everything that had happened last night poured into my mind. I moved like a zombie down the stairs into the kitchen. Outside mom's car still rested. I knew that she was not going to work today, but I needed to go to school. There were questions I needed answers for.

I walked out the door and took a deep breath. I climbed into my truck slowly and started the engine. The ride to school was unusually short this morning. I parked in the same place as always and climbed out. I made my way into the school in silence.

I reached my locker in no time and grabbed my books. I headed towards the chemistry classroom and set them on my desk. I turned and left the room.

The hall seemed abnormally quiet. The silence gave me goosebumps up my back and down my arms. I started walking to the window to see if anyone else was here.

For a split second, I thought that I heard someone giggle behind me. When I turned to see who it was, I saw nothing. Behind me, the lights started to dim before turning off completely.

I backed up against the wall unsure of what to do. The hall suddenly had an eerie feel to it. It made it feel like something was wrong, like something bad was going to happen. I gulped as more lights turned off.

Only one light remained now; The one directly above me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sillouetted figure. As it got closer, I noticed that it had the same yellow eyes from my dream.

I stared at it horror struck. No! This wasn't happening! The yellow eyes burned right through me. They had a menacuing glare to them. It felt like hours since I moved last. All the while the figure kept moving closer. He was only a couple of feet away from me now...

I closed my eyes. I heard someone step in front of me and growl.

"Leave now!" growled a familiar voice.

I opened my eyes to see Jasper standing in front of me with a furious expresion. The figure backed away slowly, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

"We will meet again..." the figure said.

My heart pounded. It was the same voice from my dream. It was the same person. Jasper turned to face me when the figure was out if sight.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No..." was all I managed to say.

He reached for my hand. A shiver of electricity spread through my body as his cool skin made contact with mine. He led me down the hallway and out the front doors.

A blast of fresh air filled my lungs, and I felt myself breathe again. He led me to his car where he opened the door for me. I climbed in and he shut it. seconds later he was sitting beside me. He looked at me with worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

I nodded, "Ya... just a little shaken."

I studied his expression.

"Whats wrong?"

"I think... that he was there to kill you..." he said slowly.

I gasped.

"He was in my dream last night..." I said.

Jasper stared at me, "What!?"

I shook my head, "He had the same eyes and the same voice..."

"Did he say anything in your dream?"

I paused trying to remember. "Just my name."

Jasper looked away, anger on his face. "He knows who you are..."

He punched the dash making a dent. "Damn it." His eyes were cold and hard.

He looked at me again, the anger slowly fading. Around us cars were slowly filling the parking lot. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We should go inside. You'll be safe with everyone else around." He opened the door and climbed out. A second later, he was opening my door and helping me out.

We walked to the school in silence. I could tell that he was angry and worried. I wanted to ask him something, but I decided that it would be best if I asked later.

Inside the school Alice and Sage came running for me. Each took their turn hugging me and then looking back at Jasper who stood a couple of paces behind us.

"Are you okay? we heard what happened to Trinity..." Alice started.

I raised my hand, " I'm okay. a little shaken from whats all happened, but okay."

Sage let out a deep breath. Alice shared her relief.

"So you'll be okay for the welcome back dance then right?" Sage asked.

Alice elbowed her and then smiled at me.

"Welcome back dance?" I asked confused.

"Uh, ya. we have it every year a couple weeks after mid term remember? Its this Friday." Sage replied.

I rolled my eyes. Great a dance. Just what I needed right now.

"I can't dance..." I said.

"You don't have to dance..." Alice chimmed.

"But I have no date..."

"Ha! don't say that too loud or else Cyrus will come running." Sage warned.

I cringed when she said his name.

Alice smiled at me, "I bet that Jasper would take you."

I blinked at her. I turned to look at him. He seemed to be absorbed in converation with his sister. Probably about this morning. His eye caught mine, and he looked over at me and smiled. I felt myself blush. I could see that he let out a small chuckle before turning back to his sister.

I looked back at Alice whose smile had widened. "Told ya so."

I shook my head, "We'll see about that." and walked off.

Alice and Sage quickly caught up. The bell was about to ring, so we headed to the chemistry room. We each took our individual seats. I faced the front and waited for Jasper to join me.

A second later, someone sat beside me. I looked over, expecting to see Jasper. But instead, Cyrus sat in his spot. He smiled at me.

"So, I was just wondering...if maybe you'd like to go to the welcome back dance with me."

I stared at him, looking for a way out. Where was Jasper when you needed him?

I exhaled a small breath and pretended to think for a moment. What could I say? I was about to say something when someone came up behind him.

"Hello Cyrus." said the velvety voice.

Cyrus turned his head to look up at Jasper. He quickly stood. Jasper smiled at him and then took his spot. Cyrus turned back to face me.

"So how about it?"

"I don't know if I'm going to go to it yet. not with everything thats happened and all."

I could see the disappointment cross his face. "Sure. tell me if it changes." and he turned and went to his seat.

Jasper looked at me and I felt my face flush.

"What was that about?"

I stared at him, did he really not know? Why didn't he just read Cyrus's mind?

"He asked me to the welcome back dance." I slouched in my chair.

His eyes turned playful. "Why didn't you accept?"

I stared at him in disbelief. Did he really just ask me that?

"I can't dance."

He gave me a disbelieving look.

"And I don't want to go with him." There I said it.

"Why not?" he asked playfully.

He was smiling at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Because I don't like him that way."

"Oh I see." he paused, "So If I asked you what would you say?"

"It would depend on if you asked me."

His smile widened. "Alright, Raya Macayle. Will you go to the welcome back dance with me?"

My mouth popped open as I stared at him. What! Did he really just ask me?

"Well?"

I blinked, "Fine."

He smiled at me. "Friday right?"

I nodded.

"I'll pick you up at your house around six."

Great. Mr. Riley walked past us to the front of the class. He slipped a DVD into the player and turned the lights off. I was so tired, I ley my hands slip off the table as I slouched farther into my chair.

I could feel something cool grab my hand. I looked down to find Jaspers hand connected to mine. I looked up at him and met his gaze. We smiled at each other, and then turned back to face the front.

Everything around me seemed to start to blur. I could feel myself falling asleep, and having no will power left, I didn't fight. I just let the darkness take me, only being aware of the cool habd against mine.

_I ran down the deserted hallway.I knew I was running from something but I couldn't remember what. I knew it was dangerous and it was after me._

_I stopped to take a breather. Looking around, I didn't reconize any of my surroundings. Everything was new to me. I had no idea where I was. _

_behind me I could hear footsteps coming closer. They were slowing from a run to a walk. I was so tired now, I couldn't keep going. I closed my eyes and slouched against the wall. _

_The steps stopped in front of me. For once, I wasn't afraid. I opened my eyes and peered at the most beautiful person on earth;_

_Jasper._

_He stood there smiling down at me. He offered me his hand, and I gratefully accepted it. He pulled me to my feet in a swift motion. Behind me I heard a noise. We both turned to see what it was. The dark figure from earlier stood aout thrirty feet away staring at us. His yellow eyes burning into my mind. _

_Jasper wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace and I at once felt safer than ever._

_The figure inched closer. When he was only about ten feet away I could see his face clearly. It was one I reconized even though I had only seen it once._

_Constable Martin Destrom._


	8. Chapter 7 Hospital

I woke in a stir. Everything around me was white and spinning. I could hear voices shouting all around me.

"She's awake!" someone called.

A frenzy of footsteps came closer towards me.

"Raya? Raya!" someone called.

I moved my head. Everything started to focus. I could see that I was in a white room hooked up to a bunch of machines. Around me, I could hear the frenzy of worried people. I tried to sit up, but a cool gentle hand pushed me back.

I could see now that I was in a hospital. Though how I had gotten here was beyond me. My last memory...was a cool hand next to mine, though I wasn't sure.

"Raya, can you hear me?" said a familiar voice. I knew instantly that it was my mother.

"Y--y-a" I mumbled.

I heard a sigh of relief all around the room. Looking around, I saw familiar faces all peering down at me with worried eyes. Across the room near the window stood Dr. Terran and Desiree. On my right sat Alice and Sage. Mom was at the foot of my bed. On my left, Aidan and Jasper sat watching me with curious expressions. Standing in the doorway was a small man, with dark hair and deep green eyes. I jumped as soon as I saw him. I reconized him at once, but I couldn't remember where. All that I could remember was that he was dangerous.

Jasper placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me. It only made me jump again because of his cool skin. He looked at me apoligetically.

"What's wrong?" mom asked.

I tried to say something but nothing came out. So I decided to point out what was the problem. I lifted my hand up and pointed it straight in the small man's direction. He didn't seem shocked when I pointed at him, instead, a smile grew on his face, sending shivers down my spine.

"Constable Destrom?" mom looked at me strangely.

The sound of his name gave me goosebumps. I nodded as an answer. Aidan and Jasper exchanged glances. They both looked over at Terran for conformation. He seemed to be studying Destrom. The expression on his face said that he thought the same thing as Aidan and Jasper.

The small man gave one last look at everyone and then turned slightly. His eyes fixated on me. He gave a small wink and turned to leave.

One he was gone, I felt myself loosen up. I didn't know why I feared him and that scared me even more.

"Are you alright?" Alice chimmed.

I looked at her and tried to smile, "I think so." The words came slowly, "What happened?"

Alice looked over at my mom. Terran took a couple of steps closer towards me and rested his hand on the bed rail.

"You slipped into acoma..." his voice trailed off.

My eyes popped, "What? how?"

He looked at me apoligetically, "We're not sure actually. It's nothing we have ever seen before." he paused. "We think it's from all the stress. With everything that's happened and all."

"The only thing that we really don't get though, is the fact that you were in perfect condidtion while sleeping. Your heart rate was fine and your brain was working normally. When someone goes into acoma, usually their heart rate slows or their brain activity goes down." mom said.

I stared at them like they were all crazy.

"How long have I been out?" I asked after a while.

"Almost a week." Replied Terran.

My mouth opened. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday."

I considered all of this. I looked up after a while at all the anxious faces that stared back at me.

"Is there anything to eat around here?" I asked.

It was about 5:30 when we arived home. We had dropped Sage and Alice off after we had gone for supper. The house was quiet and cool. The air was relaxing as we walked through the door.

I sat on the couch and flipped the T.v. I turned to the movie channels and found one of my faveorites. I clicked on it. I slouched and watched the T.V like a zombie, not really taking in anything that happened.

Mom came into the room with a glass of water. She sat down beside me and handed it to me. I gratefully accepted it and took a sip. The cool liquid flowed down my throat.

After a while, I decided that I would try to sleep normally. Mom said that she was going to wake me up halfway through the night just to make sure that I didn't slip back into acoma, but I doubted that she would remember.

Once in my room, I sat on my bed and took a breather. Since being out for almost a week, all of my energy had been drained. Terran said that I should be back to normal in just a couple of days. The room was hot so I decided to open the window. Outside, the cool air whirled around. In the tree I saw something move.

I watched carefully for a minute. It stirred again.

"Is someone there?" I asked quietly.

I saw the figure come towards me out of the darkness. My heart started beating faster. Why did I say that? What if it was someone I didn't know?

When the figure emerged from the darkness, His face made my heart melt. It had only been Jasper.

"What are you doing there?"

"Your mom wouldn't let me in to make sure you were alright so I decided that I would just come up here and watch you sleep tonight to make sure nothing happened."

I looked at him and smiled. "Are you going to come in then?"

He seemed startled by my question. "Do you want me to come in?"

"Yes."

He slowly climbed through the window till he stood right in front of me. Right now he seemed so much taller than I remembered. He lifted his hand and brushed it against my face. I closed my eyes. Where his hand touched, it seemed like it burned, but it didn't hurt.

My smile widened. I opened his eyes to see that he was now smiling to.

"You should try to get some rest."

I considered this for a minute. "But now I don't want to."

"Then I'll go." he moved towards the window.

"No!" I shrieked.

I covered my mouth quickly hoping that I had not been loud enough for mom to hear. After a minute I let my hands drop, knowing that she hadn't.

His smile widened. He moved closer to me. Once he was right beside me, he put his arms around my and lifted me off the ground. He carried me to my bed and sat me against the wall. I took his arm and pulled him down with me so he sat right next to me. His arms tighetened around me in a warm embrace. I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, taking in his sweet scent.

He started to hum a song that I had never heard before. It sounded beautiful coming from him.

"What song is that?" I asked sleepily.

"Your lullaby. I wrote it just for you." he replied. He kissed my forehead and then continued humming.

It didn't take long to slip into sleep.

I woke to a faint blue light coming through the curtains. I could still smell the sweeytness of ginger and fresia. I opened my eyes to see That Jasper still held me in a tight embrace. He was still singing my lullaby.

I lifted my head too look at him. He smiled down at me, and I returned his smile. My eyes wandered down to his clothes, which I noticed that he had changed.

"You changed?"

He chuckled, "Ya. Earlier this morning. Your mom came to check on you so I figured I should go home and change while she did."

"You left?" my voice was disapointed.

He laughed, "Couldn't let the neighbors see me in the same clothes as yesterday right? What would they think?"

I nodded. He stood up, letting go of me. "Your mom is already gone. I will wait for you downstairs while you get ready." and with that he turned and walked out the door and down the stairs.

It didn't take long to change. I slipped on a blue v-neck shirt and a pair of jeans. I brushed my hair, grabbed my things and went down the stairs to meet Jasper.

He sat at the island watching me as I came down. He smiled when he saw me. I felt my cheeks flush as I looked at the clock. It read 7:32.

"Breakfast time." he said.

I looked at him and covered my neck with my hands. His face turned into a scowl.

"Let me rephrase that. Breakfast time for you."

I let my hands drop and smiled. I grabbed a bowl and some cereal.

"That wasn't funny you know." he said once I took the first bite.

"I know." I smiled at him.

His face was cold, but then he smiled back. It didn't take long before I was done. I washed the dishes quick. Once we were outside, I saw that his car was parked in mom's usual spot. He walked over and opened the passenger side door and signaled for me to climb in. I did so gratefully, knowing that I would have some time with him before school started.

We pulled out of the driveway fast. I looked out the window to see my neighbor and her son watching me through the window.

At the school, there were already alot of cars there. We parked near the front door and headed in. The halls were already busy with teenagers who were talking about the welcome back dance Friday. I groaned.

Alice and Sage found us when we were at my locker. They both said hello to Jasper and then turned to me.

"Cyrus is having a cow. Apparently someone told him that you and Jack are going to the dance together." Alice said.

"What?!"

Sage nodded her head.

"But I'm not!"

"We know. he won't listen to us." Sage mumbled.

I looked up. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Cyrus storming over to us. I took in a deep breath as he neared.

"Your going to the dance with Jack!?" he practically yelled.

"No, I am not." I said cooly.

He raised his hand to argue but then stopped, looking confused, "Your not?"

I shook my head, "No."

"Oh okay then." he smiled, "Are you going with anyone?"

I slowly glanced at Jasper. Cyrus followed my gaze and then scowled.

"Oh. I see." and he walked away.

I didn't dwell over the fact that he was mad at me. Or that Sage and Alice were screaming with joy. No, I couldn't take my eyes off of Jasper as he watched Cyrus leave with a look of pure hatred. I gathered that Cyrus had thought something really nasty about him.

Alice and Sage looked at me.

"So your coming dress shopping with us tonight then right?" Alice squealed.

"Uhm..." was all I could say.

"Oh come on! I know you have nothing to wear to this thing." Sage beamed.

I shot a look at Jasper. He smiled back a me. He was no help.

"Fine." I said.

Alice and Sage grabbed a hold on me and squealed in happyness.


	9. Chapter 8 Elizabethtown

The rest of the day went by in a flash. Everyone was exited for the activities planned for the following day. Alice and Sage danced around the hallways in excitement. It always ceased to amaze me how much energy those two had. I don't think that the actual dance was what they were excited for. I was sure it was because I had actually agreed to go dress shopping with them since I had a 'date.'

They had never gotten me to go shopping with them before. If I went shopping it was always by myself and I was always right in and right back out again with what I had came for. I detested shopping.

I'm not even sure why I agreed to go to the dance. I mean when it comes to balance, I have two left feet. I can be walking down the halls, minding my own business when out of no where I will fall. And the sad thing is, there's usually no one around me to blame it on.

Jasper. He was why I agreed in the first place. There's just something about him that would make me do almost anything for him. But it's not his fault. He doesn't really know how much control he has over me. I know he's dangerous and if mom ever found out what he was…..well I don't know. He told me before how dangerous he was and that I should stay away from him. But the thing is, he kind of didn't stay away from me.

I smiled to myself. Too late now. I glanced at the clock. The bell should ring any minute. I held my breathe. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I didn't know why I felt so uneasy.

When the bell rang, I slid out of my seat with ease and made my way to my locker. I quickly placed my books inside and made my way down the hall towards Alice's. She was already standing there, placing her binder inside. I could see down the hall that Sage was making her way towards us as well.

We both reached her at the same time. Alice's eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Glad to see you didn't ditch." She said smoothly.

"I didn't really have a choice. You know where I live." I murmured.

Alice chuckled.

"Ready then?" Sage asked.

"As ready as I will ever be." I sighed.

We walked towards Sage's car. Alice and Sage's excitement grew with each step we took, knowing that I had no where to run.

We passed Jasper and Desiree on our way out. Jasper looked up at me with those beautiful emerald green eyes and smiled. Desiree turned her head slightly. Once she saw who he had smiled at, her lips mimicked his.

I couldn't help but return their smiles. It made me so happy that Desiree actually accepted me now. Before she was cold and bitter towards me.

As we passed them I could hear Alice and Sage giggle. Ever since Jasper and his family arrived here, Alice had it in her head that Jasper had liked me. Well in a way he did, but not in the normal way at first. Part of him, I was sure, still hungered for my blood just as the day he came. He denies that it has any control over him like it used to, but every once in a while when I get to close, I see the restraint in his face.

We climbed inside of Sage's car. Alice and Sage took the front while I placed myself in the middle seat in the back. Ever since I was a child i have had a fear of being by the window in the back seat of a moving vehicle. That is where all the casualties usually happen.

"Told ya so." Alice chimed as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Alice turned to face me, "About Jasper."

I rolled my eyes, "So what about him?"

"I told you that he likes you. and I was right. you can see it in his eyes everytime that he looks at you. there's something about him... I think that if anyone ever tried to hurt you he would step in and beat the crap out of them."

Sage laughed.

I looked away. I knew that if someone tried to hurt me, they would get more than that done to them.

A silence passed through the car. The ride to Elizabethtown was only twenty minutes, but it seemed like longer.

"Who are you two going with?" I asked.

I had forgotten completely to ask them.

"Jaedon..." Alice said.

Sage squealed, "I knew you liked him."

"Hey! he asked me!" Alice said, "What about you?"

Sage paused, "Damon."

Alice and I stared at her for a moment. "I though you hated him!" I exclaimed.

"I don't hate him..." She began, "anymore."

"But you said that if he ever came near you again you would scream." Alice said.

"That was before I got to know him. He's actually really nice..."

My mouth popped open. "You like him, don't you?"

Sage winced and that was all I needed for her answer.

We ended up going to a store called the butterfly boutique. It was a nice little place that seemed old and rundown on the outside, but on the inside, it was beautiful. There were columns made of marble all around. The walls were a pale white that shimmered in the sunlight. There were racks of dresses that occupied the area of the store.

Alice and Sage made their way towards different racks leaving me standing in the middle of the doorway. I looked around and made my way towards the blue dresses. I looked through them, all the while nothing catching my interest. I was almost done when something caught my eye. Over in the corner, almost hidden away from the world was a strapless blue dress with a silver sash. It had a silver corset. Silver sequins decorated the dress, making it seem like it glowed. I immediately took it off the rack and made my way to the dressing rooms.

I slipped it on easily. It hung perfectly on me. I knew instantly that this was the one that I wanted.

"Come out! we want to see!" I heard Alice's voice call.

I opened the dressing room door. I could see that Alice and Sage already had their dress picked out.

Sage's eyes lit up, "Oh-my-god, Raya. It's beautiful!"

Alice nodded in agreement, "It suits you perfectly."

I blushed and quickly returned to the dressing room. We were able to find shoes and a few accessories that matched with our dresses.

We stopped for dinner at a small restaurant a couple doors down. The waitress sat us in a window seat in the corner.

Looking out the window, I could see the sunset in the sky. The colors were absolutely beautiful.

"I can't believe how fast that was! one store and boom! we have everything!" Sage beamed.

I nodded. Alice looked at me smiling, pleased that I hadn't bailed or been a pain.

"So it wasn't that bad now, was it?" Alice chimed.

I shook my head, "No." I admitted.

I was actually shocked though. I never thought that I would like shopping with them. I Looked up across the room. Over in the corner across from us, I could see a table of 3 boys; They were about our age, but yet I had never seen them before.

One of them, was looking our way and talking to the others. He was obviously the youngest judging by his boyish grin. His hair was black, but in the light, it shone as a dark blue. He had brown eyes that reminded me of a puppy dog. His two comrades had lighter hair and blue eyes. They seemed to be intrigued by what the dark haired boy was saying.

The one on the left looked towards us. When he realized that I had seen him, his face turned red instantly as he turned away.

"What are you looking at?" Alice asked.

Sage followed my gaze to the table across the room. Alice followed.

"They keep looking at us." I said.

Sage's head turned towards me, her eyes inquiring. "Really? I wonder why..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dark haired boy get up and smile at the others. He gestured towards us. They both looked at each other, then decided to follow their friend. They stood up and threw some bills on the table to pay for their meal. Then they started walking in our direction.

"So what do you think that the theme will be this year?" Alice asked.

My attention turned from the boys to her.

"The theme for what?" I asked.

"For prom. I heard that it's supposed to be the best one yet!" Alice chirped.

"Hmmm...good question." I said.

"Excuse me ladies," Came a voice from the end of the table.

I looked up to see the boys from across the room standing right in front of us. Up close, they seemed to be like Jasper and his family. They had perfectly tanned skin, with beautiful faces. I knew though, that they were not what Jasper was.

Alice looked at them with a blank face. Sage smiled politely before answering.

"Yes, boys?" she emphasised _'boys.__'_

"We were just wondering if you wanted some company." dark haired boy said.

Alice, Sage, and I exchanged glances. Alice seemed somewhat alarmed, but Sage gladly accepted.

"Sure." she shoved over towards me, making room for them. Two sat beside Alice, and the other went beside Sage.

"So, what are your names?" The dark haired boy asked.

"I'm Sage," she said playfully, "And that's Raya and Alice."

"I'm Christian," the dark haired boy said, "And that is Dimitri and Kale."

Dimitri smiled at us. His attention then turned towards Alice. Kale sat on the edge with a hard look on his face, as if he had just smelled rotten eggs.

I looked at their faces carefully. Each had it's differences, but each seemed similar.

Out of nowhere, a song started playing. I looked around until I realized that it was my phone. I dug it out of my pocket, realizing that everyone's eyes were fixated on me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Raya! where are you?" a voice shouted frantically from the other end.

"In Elizabethtown with Sage and Alice. Why? Who is this?"

"It's mom!"

"Mom?! What's wrong?" I asked.

"You girls need to come here now! Its urgent!" mom shouted.

"Okay, we'll be there soon."

"Hurry home safely."

I closed the phone and looked up at Alice and Sage. "We need to go. Mom said it's urgent, and she never does unless it really is." I said.

Alice and Sage nodded their heads in agreement. Mom was never one to overreact. I knew that better than anyone.

We looked at the boys apologetically and made our way out the door. Sage revved the engine as we roared out of town. I was anxious to know what had happened.

It took only fifteen minutes to get back to White Lake. Sage drove as fast as she could without getting pulled over.

We stopped in front of my house and climbed out of the car. I could see that Jasper was here, and so were his brother and sister. I gathered that the silver Porsche parked behind my mom was Terran's.

We headed inside, unsure of what to expect.

Everyone was in the living room, crowded around each other. When we entered, I saw my mom sigh with relief. Jasper's gaze followed hers to the doorway where we stood. He seemed relieved as well. He stood and walked over to us, all the while keeping a straight face. He looked at Sage apologetically and then turned to me.

"I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do for him….." he said quietly.

I looked at him confused, "Who?"

Jasper turned back to face Sage, "I regret having to be the one to say this……" I turned so that we could see into the living room better.

There in the middle of the room, lay a boy. He was not too much younger than us. His short brown hair was laying on every direction. His eyes were closed, and he looked as pale as a ghost. I took a few steps forward to get a better look. That's when I realised that it was not only Jasper and his family here, but Sage's as well. I saw her mom sitting around the boy, sobbing. That's when it hit me; This boy laying in front of us was Jared, Sage's little brother.

I glanced behind me, already aware that Sage was crying in Alice's arms. I went over and squeezed Sage's hand, tears forming in my eyes. I glanced over at Jasper, who just looked at me as if he was the child who had put his hand in the cookie jar and had gotten caught. He turned to go into the kitchen and then stopped, and half turned to see me. He waved his hand for me to follow.

I didn't want to leave Sage, but I figured that Jasper had something good to say. We entered the kitchen and stood by the table. I looked out into the now dark sky, seeing the true darkness for the first time.

Everything that was happening, was just getting worse and worse.

"We have a problem…." Jasper begun.

I looked up at him.

He looked at me with solemn eyes, "At first we thought that someone was after us….."

"What? Why?"

"When Cody was killed, I was one of the last ones seen with him. He showed me around the school on my first day."

"But why would someone be after you?"

"Because of what we are. Not many people would be as understanding as you were if they found out. But then, as more time passed, we all came to the same conclusion."

The way that he looked at me at that moment made me shudder. He had never looked at me like that. With so much worry on his face. It scared me for what was coming next.

"Whoever is doing this, is not after us. They're after you."


End file.
